About us
Welcome to your new local community dedicated to exploring all things psychedelics!
While we establish the group, its identity, and what we hope to gain collectively, I'll be treating Guelph Psychedelic Society (GPS) as a hybrid book club/general Meetup group dedicated to creating a safe space for curious minds to explore the psychedelic space from an intellectual and exploratory lens. We may explore some aspects of spirituality as it relates to the focus of each specific discussion, so take this as it resonates and kindly leave what doesn't.
Some Meetups may include various YouTube videos, articles, and/or other materials for us to engage with, opposed to strictly sticking to the typical book club format. We may even pick a film or two to use as the basis for our discussions (the world is our oyster, as they say). I'm open to collaborating, so feel free to message me if you have any thoughts and/or suggestions!
For now, we will meet roughly once a month, typically the last Saturday morning of the month at the Red Brick Cafe in downtown Guelph. Meetups may become more frequent depending on interest/how the group develops.
I'm looking forward to connecting with fellow psychonauts and anyone + everyone psychedelic-curious! Hope to meet you soon :)
Upcoming events
1
How To Change Your Mind (2018) by Michael Pollan
Red Brick Cafe (Downtown), 8 Douglas Street, Guelph, ON, CAGreetings folks, welcome to our first Meetup event!
We'll be discussing the great Michael Pollan's How To Change Your Mind (2018). From what little psychedelic literature I've read, this is arguably the perfect place to start, whether you're a seasoned psychonaut or someone that's psychedelic-curious.
How To Change Your Mind provides an informative and engaging deep dive into psychedelics' history across various cultures, as well as here in the West, starting with psychedelics' promising beginnings in psychiatric research to their unfortunate shutdown due to political misunderstandings and propaganda.
Pollan, a widely acclaimed food researcher and writer, explores what contemporary psychiatric research is discovering about these fascinating natural substances and what they can offer humanity. How To Change Your Mind was even adapted into a Netflix docuseries, which is a fun watch, but obviously lacks the intimacy that reading an entire text provides.
I'll share some videos and other resources in the coming weeks to hopefully spark some conversation points both for all you lovely people, as well as for myself.
Taken from Pollan's website:
"When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists."
https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/
I've located a PDF here:
https://www.unom.ac.in/webportal/uploads/miscelloneous/cpsychology/1.pdfAlternatively, there are 5 copies available at the Guelph Public Library, as well as an eBook version.
We'll meet at the Red Brick Cafe in downtown Guelph for our first discussion on Saturday, June 27 at 10am.
I look forward to meeting you and exploring the wonderful world of psychedelics together :)
1 attendee
